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The Sculptor and the Saint
One Woman’s Sacrifice. One Man’s Undoing.
Daughter to an ancient Roman senator, Cecilia is forced into a lonely marriage to a loathsome patrician and leaves behind her infatuation for the handsome Sebastian of Milan. With her husband often away on military duty, however, Cecilia seeks refuge through her clandestine meetings with a Christian congregation hiding in the catacombs beneath the Appian Way. When news of Sebastian’s torture brings her to his aid and her involvement with Sebastian and the Christians is exposed, Cecilia must face fatal consequences.
Thirteen hundred years after her death, Saint Cecilia’s body is exhumed from her grave and young artist Stefano Maderno is commissioned by the pope to sculpt her likeness. Seeking a big break in his career, Stefano enthralls himself in his work and the romanticized accounts of Cecilia’s virginity and martyrdom. However, the more he immerses himself in carving her form, the more he struggles against his sinful nature to be worthy of his subject’s virtue. Stefano’s dedication to Cecilia’s legacy might just be what breaks him.
In this gripping tale of passion and agony, two lives separated by centuries are united in their search for purity and purpose. Lori Joan Swick’s The Sculptor and the Saint speaks of a history only ever written in stone.
Reviews
Swick’s portrayal of Cecilia…departs from traditional hagiographies. Her historical analysis…offers a persuasive reinterpretation of Cecilia as both a living woman and a virgin saint…
— Keira Morgan, The Historical Novel Society
All I can say is it was wonderful, interesting and I couldn’t stop reading about Cecilia, the young girl, manipulated by the vengeful patriarchal Roman society and her uncaring parents. The writing is the most beautiful, exciting and informative I have read in a very long time… I’m recommending this book to all of my friends.
— Ginger Wakem, Award-winning Author of Trust No One, Promise Nothing
In The Sculptor and the Saint, Lori Joan Swick takes us down the historical path of Saint Cecilia, whose history is not altogether clear until vital clues are pieced together. This fascinating tale reveals the innocence and vulnerability of women, and the power and violence pervading the Roman era in the third century. The story follows the ill-fated martyr Cecilia as her story is slowly molded by the hands of her tortured sculptor, Stefano. It is only through his undying love and devotion to his subject that her mysterious tale is finally unmasked. This story, exquisitely told by Dr. Swick, is full of metaphor and wisdom – especially in the interpretation of women, men and the roles that have prevailed throughout history. It is a must for all historical fiction buffs who like their stories served up with dramatic twists and nail-biting tension.
— Adele Royce, Award-Winning Series Author of Truth, Lies, and Love in Advertising and The Neon Diaries
Emotionally resonant, richly detailed, The Sculptor and the Saint is, at its heart, a story of obsession and its many iterations, an object lesson on how our fixations both hurt and inspire us. Swick brings to life two real people from the past, a woman and a man haunted across the centuries by physical and spiritual passions.
— Ana Veciana-Suarez, Author of Dulcinea
In The Sculptor and the Saint, author Lori Joan Swick has crafted a bold reimagining of one of Christianity’s most beloved saints… This is historical fiction with a purpose—a thoughtful examination of how women’s stories have been shaped by the institutions that claim to honor them. Readers interested in early Christianity, art history, or feminist retellings of classical stories will find much to appreciate in this ambitious work.
— L.L. Kirchner, Author of The Queenpin Chronicles